


Roots of Sehun

by ekzxo (2870)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Baby Oh Sehun, Fairies, M/M, No Romance, florist Kim Jongin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24782461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2870/pseuds/ekzxo
Summary: "Only in my garden, oh, of course!" Jongin whimpers as he flounces over to the troubled fairy.Never in his life, has he been in a situation like this. It's no surprise he feels completely useless and confused. Jongin doesn't want to tear apart the petals because it wouldn't result in anything pretty. But his fairy is trying so difficulty to pry his head out of the massive tubular foxglove.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 7
Kudos: 50
Collections: Kaifectionery Round 4





	Roots of Sehun

**Author's Note:**

> For Kaifectionary Round 4, Prompt #17!
> 
> Longer author's notes, dear readers!
> 
> This was extremely fun to write! But I have to mention that this fairy au was completely crafted upon my own interpretation. For nymph and fairy fanatics, I'm sorry that there will be loads of inaccuracies. Most importantly, prompter asked for a rapid growing fairy baby, so he's here! I hope its still a magical, delightful journey for everyone who reads along!
> 
> I also started this a bit back, and haven't written in about a month before I went back to finish this, so, I wouldn't say it was rushed but I'm genuinely a bit disappointed with how I wanted to end it since I lost a lot of inspiration and interest in many things. 
> 
> Give Kaifectionary much love, they're adorable.

Two Lips is located at the corner of a bustling neighborhood with constant swarms of pedestrians. Very few say Jongin is unlucky to live in this part of the active town, but a handful of strangers often mention that Jongin is fortunate to turn a corner house into a business in such a popular area. 

This convenient shop of Jongin's has become one of the most popular markets for flowers in the community, whether its to buy a last minute bouquet for a date or an array of hopeful flowers before their trip to the hospital. Most people, being the passerby's end up being encouraged to visit and leave with a flower for themselves because of Jongin's sweet words of self love. Customers feel as if time slows down when they visit him and take a whiff or sight of the flowers. 

Jongin himself has quite the obsession for flowers, and especially plants. Collecting potted plants flourished into a green backyard, which eventually supported fertilized soil and seeds. Now something that was an obsession and hobby is a stable job that pays for his house mortgage and continues to make him very happy.

The bell above the door chimes, signaling a customer. It's common for Jongin to loose track of how many customers come in and out, but Thursday afternoons aren't common for people to enter, so he finds himself continuing tend the stems of his dandelions until the customer is ready. Taking a glance up to greet his customer, he smiles wider knowing that it's his regular stopping by. 

"Jongin," he says with his breathing laborious. 

Junmyeon appears frantic with sweat dripping down his temples. He could fill up a vase if Jongin offered him one to begin with. 

"Are you alright?"

Jongin's fist opens from Junmyeon prying his fingers away from his palm. Junmyeon slips a velvet pocket-sized bag into it and closes Jongin's hand back into a fist while he holds onto it it firmly with both hands.

"Plant them immediately. Somewhere in the shade surrounded by bushes and leafy plants, away from other growing vegetation," Junmyeon instructs with a serious expression, eyes staring intently.

"You've got it. But what's the suddenness for?" Jongin asks curiously.

"I'm going out of the country for awhile, and I really trust you with these."

Jongin hums, "I'm assuming they're seeds."

"Would I hand you anything else and tell you to plant them? They're lady bugs, Jongin."

"Oh, well, have fun on your trip, or stay, or whatever. I will take care of these very well. As you may know, I'm quite the flower fanatic."

Junmyeon lets go of his hands but his skinship doesn't stop there as he gives Jongin an off guard embrace before hurrying out with a quick wave. 

Because Two Lips is Jongin's own home business, he doesn't really hire anybody other than himself and occasionally, seasonal workers. He can't cater to these seeds immediately, but he reminds himself to do so once he closes the shop in the early evening. 

For the remainder of his shop hours, he gets a dozen customers buying flowers mostly for self-indulgent purposes. A couple buys their first livingroom plant for their shared apartment and he awes at them and gives them a large watering can on the house. He declines a customer for wanting to visit his backyard garden, which is only open to the public on weekends. Shortly after, a child comes running in here, smacking a few dollars on the counter, wanting to get their mommy a rose. He tell her to make it quick and safe before she gets in trouble. The sky darkens and Jongin closes the shop a minute earlier, flipping his sign from  _ blooming _ to  _ dormant _ . 

It takes a minute to navigate from the front of home business to the backyard, easy through the displays but ducking and squirming from left to right to get through the plants in the back that are overgrowing messily. His garden is neatly tamed and overall very precisely organized, but it doesn't stop it from being a challenge for where to plant the seeds. 

The obsession lasts ten minutes until Jongin discovers the perfect, private corner. 

"You'll grow so pretty, pea," Jongin coos while he shoves the dirt and sprinkles a fresh mix of potting soil on top of it. As he waters the spot, he goes on, "I want to give you encouraging words everytime I visit you so you'll grow strong. When Jun comes around, he'll be so thrilled, won't he?" Jongin shakes his head in disbelief, "I usually don't talk to my plants but I think you're going to be my favorite."

❀ ☼ ✿ 

Over the course of two weeks, Jongin wasn’t kidding when he told the seeds that they would be his favorite. He wasn’t kidding when he said he doesn’t talk to his plants. But this little pea of his is a new attachment, probably because of the urgent care that was requested from Junmyeon. He only wants to make sure the gifted seeds are taken care of, but maybe he’s a bit in too deep. 

For the most part, when it comes to his other plans he sometimes hums, “Oh, you look a bit parched,” or maybe something in the lines of, “I’ll have to cut you from your mother stem, I’m so sorry but you’ll go to a kind owner for a few days, then grow again with me. Promise!”

But for this plant, his little pea — he almost wanted to name them Ladybug — he finds himself talking to it about his day. He waters the plant carefully and watches the soil absorb the contents. He massages the dirt and pokes at the roots just to assure that they’re still growing. He has a favorite plant. 

Jongin misses it a bit because he hasn’t been able to visit, only checking in on his entire backyard garden about twice a week. The inventory that he grows for the shop is checked on daily, as well as the inventory that gets shipped over in plastic pots. But his very own garden receives a lack of attention when it comes to seasons like these. Season being springtime, Mother’s Day, and graduations. 

It’s the 29th of February, a leap year date. Jongin celebrates to himself with ambience music and soup for breakfast as he sorts out his expected delivery dates. He organizes everything on his laptop, then gets onto some more hands on work for the day, watering plants upon their schedule. 

Work goes by like a breeze as it does ninety percent of the time. Because it’s a Saturday, he claps to himself knowing that his service doesn’t open on Sundays. This also means, most importantly, he gets to give his seeds a visit. 

Jongin tries to water his ferns and cactus plants and various flowers before visiting his favorite sprout by the small waterfall. He gives his attention to his entire garden before kneeling down at the corner. 

Something betrays his eyes for a moment. His plant is growing at a rapid rate, a strong stem and a few leaves. The petals are drooping, but not from the lack of nutrients, but because that is their nature. He thinks he spots specks of glitter and slim legs poking from the petals. 

“No,” Jongin mutters hushedly to himself. “They are absolutely not.”

Jongin gives it a gentle poke and the stem and petals shake for a mere moment before slowing its pace. He sighs exasperatedly to himself before getting the right mind to water them. 

Flowers impress him, with their pretty petals and slim stems. But not like this. Never like this. 

Jongin hurries into the homey part of his house and fetches himself a glass of water, then storms back out to blink at the special spot. Nothing changes. There are legs and feet poking from beneath the petals. 

The only explanation to this would come from a silly folktale. He never had an opinion in things like this. Whether they happened or not, he was fascinated but didn’t think too deeply about them. And now, he has no choice but to believe it, right? 

True greens thumb gardeners possess magical abilities to raise a flower with the right seeds and care. 

What seemed to be a fairytale is actually a blossoming fairy in Jongin’s garden.

Jongin paces the expanse of his backyard, waiting for Junmyeon to pick up the phone. All he receives is ringing from the other end. Something tells Jongin that he knew about the seeds. The way he won’t answer makes him especially, very certain. 

❀ ☼ ✿ 

Jongin feeds his pea seeds from strawberries. He skins strawberries with a peeler and mushes them up and spreads them on top of the soil. He hopes that the fairy will feed off the nutrients like that. It’s not like Jongin knows how to take care of these creatures, though who would, but Jongin is using a mix of his own creativity and ideas from the folktales in order to raise this fairy as best as he can. 

Apparently he’s doing something right because within a week, there’s a  _ baby _ that fits in the size of his palm. Legs and feet stick out more prominently than when he first discovered his growing fairy, along with orange petals surrounding its head, which must be supported by the ovary and sepal.

Jongin thinks fast, carefully unpotting the flower and placing it into a woven basket then transfers it into his greenhouse. He sprits the soil and petals with water and gives it his typical encouraging speech. 

When night approaches, Jongin does research through a vegetation detector app by taking photos of it and keying details on the web. Adding to his assumptions, he learns that his special flower is a foxglove. He never grew these before, nor has he supplied them in his store because they are wildlife nature flowers, not occurring in one's typical stroll around the city. While other gardeners have dozens of tubular petals, he only has one, which is his fairy baby. 

_ Jongin's fairy baby. _

The sun rises and Jongin hops out of bed eagerly, wanting to have breakfast with his pea — which isn't really a pea anymore, because it's blooming at an abnormally, rapid pace. Afterall, It isn't just a flower. 

Jongin carries his cup of morning tea and a banana as he walks out to his yard, feeling to cold outside air hug his body. In the greenhouse, Jongin nearly drops his tea and ends up squeezing his banana to mush. His foxglove stem is strong and sturdy, reaching the height of his shoulders. The palm size baby's body is resting on a supportive leaf as the stem droops down. What fit in the palm of his hands yesterday is now a twelve month looking baby, attempting to get it's head out of the closing petals.

"Only in my garden, oh, of course!" Jongin whimpers as he flounces over to the troubled fairy.

Never in his life, has he been in a situation like this. It's no surprise that he feels completely useless and confused. Jongin doesn't want to tear apart the petals because it would not result in anything pretty. But his fairy is trying so difficulty to pry his head out of the massive tubular foxglove. 

"Hold on, I've got you."

Jongin carefully pries the petals open and urges the baby out at the same time. There's a fight from both the flower and the flower baby, but within a matter of seconds, Jongin pulls the baby towards his chest and lands on his bottom. 

The baby doesn't cry, but makes giggling noises, pulling Jongin away from his frenzy. Jongin gets up carefully and takes in the sight of his own fairy baby. He awkwardly comes to the conclusion that it's a male. All his features resemble a normal baby, and as much as the folktale fairies too, except he's human size. What makes him obviously different from a baby are his distinct facial features. His cheeks have specks of orange glitter that complements his hair color and his eyes have a twinkle in them.

Jongin wants to call him Sehun. He has a lot to offer to the world.

❀ ☼ ✿

Junmyeon still fails to answer Jongin's calls. 

Jongin gives Sehun a one month birthday party, dated to when he first planted the seeds. He gives him a strawberry cupcake and a candle, singing to him when the shop closes.

Sehun is a quirky baby, already with strong abilities, like babbling, walking, and even using utensils properly. Jongin can leave him unattended behind the counter when he helps customers with what they're looking for. Occasionally, he asks to be held and doesn't make a fit when Jongin takes him around the shop, smiling and clapping everytime they pass by arrays of flowers. Customers don't find anything strange, except for pointing out the fact that Sehun has glitter on his temples. 

It becomes strange when Sehun grows to be the height of an average kindergartener, already speaking. His first phrase to Jongin was actually  _ thank you _ ! It made Jongin's heart flutter with something warm, knowing he's doing something right as a parent. 

As the days play out, Jongin doesn't have to take him to school or anything because he's skillfully social and incredibly smart. Jongin did look into how to bring a fairy child into the real world, and there's really nothing much to it. They wouldn't need to live like actual humans, and yet, Jongin feeds him, buys him clothes and snacks, and takes baths for him and rewards him with an extra hour of television when he does something extra good.

Sehun learns how to tie his shoes all on his own when the the magnolias start to bloom. Jongin is taken aback as he kicks his feet against Jongin's chest when they're laying around in the livingroom during a hot afternoon. 

"Do you know how tall you've gotten?" Jongin chirps when he takes his toddler into his arms. 

"Forty eight inches and a quarter!"

Jongin didn't expect an entire answer, but still releases laughter. 

"Many kids are graduating next week, you'll help me prepare their leis, right?"

Sehun nods happily, then suddenly pulls away with a pout.

It's easy to read Sehun. With all this time in the past struggling to understand his parents and significant others, he feared he wouldn't know what his Sehun wants and needs, but its definitely easier than he thought. 

"Why the long face?"

Sehun furrows his eyebrows and knocks his fist with Jongin's knee. "I don't have a long face!"

"No, no. Of course not. I meant, why are you sad?"

There's a short moment of silence until Sehun asks, "Why don't I get to graduate?"

"You don't go to school. But you don't need to, Seunie. Don't you know you're the most smartest boy in all of mother earth?"

Sehun nods with a forced smile. "I know that, but who says I can't graduate?"

"How about I get you a lei and a cake, and we call it a graduation? We can also celebrate for you putting ono three inches in only a few weeks. I wear you'll be five feet by the time you're three months old, gosh Sehun."

"It's all because of you, right?"

The way frequent customers do not assume things about Sehun is beyond his knowledge. Sehun must have some fairy ability to wipe them of their memory of him. Because during Mother's day, some teenage regulars didn't talk about the way Sehun was their height already. The tall guy with the parrot on his shoulder during every visit says  _ hi _ to Sehun as normal as he did weeks ago when Sehun looked like a first grader.

Sehun's voice is more stable and he no longer speaks like a  _ child _ . His words are well developed — even though they practically were just a few weeks ago. His baby cheeks are worn out, leaving nothing but a prominent jaw structure and the same glitter-specked cheeks, only with higher cheekbones.

It appears as if Sehun is fully developed into a young adult just like that, within only the span of five months. 

Jongin didn't teach him how to walk, or potty, or brush his teeth. Jongin did teach him how to trim flower stems, pot seeds, and cut thorns. He taught him kindness and working with a purpose. He believes Sehun is growing up to be an amazing person. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, I wanted to make this romantic, but it felt weird when I wrote the fourth scene, realizing that Jongin is basically a dad to him, so I couldn't do anymore. I write owner and hybrid relationships a lot, but this really didn't feel the same for some reason. I considered Junmyeon to be his 'dad' but still Jongin as the caretaker made it hard for me to develop this as something romantic. 
> 
> THIS IS WHAT I MEANT WHEN I SAID im disappointed,,, it was okay wasn't it !!! ): 
> 
> And yet, one kudos = one seed for Jongin to plant. Give him a seed!
> 
> And now an update worth nearly a month later! I will write an alternate ending slash remake fic that involves sekai being romantically involved. I hope you’re interested. :)


End file.
